In action on Monday night are a Wolves side who have their sights firmly set on securing European football next season. The newly promoted club currently lie in seventh place and should they finish the season there, it would probably be enough to hand them a place in the Europa League qualification stages.

Wolves’ upcoming opponents have less lofty goals set for themselves this season. Despite some recent strong showings, Newcastle still find themselves still very much involved in the relegation dogfight. The Toon Army don’t need to panic just yet but concerns will grow should they hit a rocky patch of form. The Magpies are better on the road than at home though, so this is far from a foregone conclusion.

Recommended Bookie

Wolves News: Jota expected to recover from knock

A minor injury picked up in the Everton match on Saturday ruled Diogo Jota out of his side’s FA Cup replay with Shrewsbury. His spell on the sidelines is set to be a brief one though with a return on Monday looking very likely for the Portuguese forward. Nuno Espirito Santo said he was the recipient of a kick at Goodison Park but is well on the road to recovery. Having the 22-year-old available will be a big boost for Wolves as he’s been a big reason behind their upturn in results and their good season overall.

Best of the Rest Marks Fine Campaign

In beating Everton 3-1 in their last home Wolves gave themselves a five point advantage over the Toffees. They are four points above eighth places Watford and they have every chance of winning the “best of the rest” crown behind the Premier League’s “Big 6”. That would mark a really great return to the top flight for the side from the Black Country and provide a good platform for them to secure their long term future in the division.

Newcastle United News: Almiron gets his visa

Unable to secure the necessary paperwork in time, Newcastle’ record signing Miguel Almiron could not take part in the match against Spurs last weekend. The Paraguayan has since secured his work permit, allowing him to join up with his latest side on the training field. Having had some time to interact with his new teammates, the former MLS star could be handed his Premier League debut here. A lack of match fitness may well restrict his minutes though as he last played a competitive match two months ago.

Returns possible for whole host of players

Newcastle’s current absentee list is a lengthy one but it will not stay that way for much longer. The injured Paul Dummett, Mo Diame and Ki Sung-yueng all have a good chance of making their comeback this Monday while Jonjo Shelvey is also not without hope. Although Martin Dubravka’s place in goal is not under threat, back-up option Karl Darlow could take up a spot on the bench after a three-month absence. An added bonus for Newcastle is that Yoshinori Muto has returned from his Asian Cup exploits and could be brought straight back into the Magpies squad this Monday.

Analysis: Newcastle showing fighting spirit

Defeat to Chelsea last month saw Newcastle slump into the relegation zone but Rafa Benitez must be proud of how his men have responded. They hammered relegation rivals Cardiff before claiming a shock win against Manchester City. More points could have easily followed against Tottenham but the Magpies did not get the rub of the green that day. Having performed strongly in recent weeks, there’s every reason to think they’ll be tough opponents this Monday.

Wolves can claim narrow win

Victory in their last three league matches plus a mid-week FA Cup win will have certainly put Wolves in an excellent mood ahead of this match. Santo has called on his players not to get carried away but some extra confidence is unlikely to hurt them in this match.

They were so impressively last time out against Everton and were no worse when hammering West Ham four days earlier. In such form, the hosts have to be backed to win (8/11) but Newcastle will not make life easy. The Magpies recently lost away to Chelsea and Spurs by just a one goal margin and an equally slender defeat looks set to await them here (13/5).

Goals back on the menu at Molineux

Wolves last four home matches have seen them fire in 12 goals, the same total they managed in the previous 12 clashes at Molineux. Santo’s men have truly regained their eye for goal and the excellent form of Jota and Raul Jimenez has played a big part in this. The latter is set to be a real threat in this game after netting four times in his last three league appearances. As Fernando Llorente showed last weekend against Newcastle, a big target man is just what is needed to cause disruption in a deep lying Magpies defence. Jimenez should find himself with plenty of supply from out wide here and at 8/5 he makes for a fantastic anytime goalscorer option.

Recent Matches

Wolves certainly have some reason to be wary ahead of this match, a point only reinforced by their recent head to head home record with Newcastle. The Midlands club have failed to beat the Magpies during their last four clashes at Molineux.

9th December 2018: Newcastle United 1 – 2 Wolves

An irritated Benitez called for the immediate introduction of VAR in the Premier League after feeling two key incidents went against him in this match. No punishment was taken against Willy Boly who appeared to elbow Ayoze Perez in the face while the Spaniard also took issue with Andre Yedlin’s red card. The dismissal divided opinion but there was no questioning it stripped the previously on-top Magpies of their momentum. A frustrating afternoon got even worse for hosts as in the 95th minute, Matt Doherty popped up in the right place to snatch a winner.

11th February 2017: Wolves 0 – 1 Newcastle United

The Magpies returned to the top of the Championship table with this win at Molineux. Aleksandar Mitrovic was the man who made the difference although he was lucky not to have been sent off prior to his goal. The Serbian was already on an early booking when he planted his foot on the back of Carl Ikeme’s leg. Knowing he was lucky to escape punishment, Rafael Benitez withdrew the striker at half time.

20th September 2016: Newcastle United 2 – 0 Wolves

Newcastle got some revenge on Wolves just four days after losing to them in the league. Matt Ritchie scored the first and set up another two minutes later as the Magpies quickly doubled their advantage in this League Cup bout. Yoan Gouffran netted the second goal and it was one for the home fans to savour. The French striker was being tightly marked but still managed to direct a ferocious volley straight into the roof of the net.

17th September 2016: Newcastle United 0 – 2 Wolves

Despite facing a side who won 6-0 just days earlier, Wolves were not intimidated by the task awaiting them. They began the game brightly and twice went close to opening the scoring through Helder Costa and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson. The breakthrough did come but only when Charles Mbemba was kind enough to head into his own goal. Costa added another in the second half and things got even worse for the Magpies late on when Vurnon Anita was shown a straight red card.

Tips Archive

Disclaimer: Please note that the legality of betting online varies between countries and it is your responsibility to verify that your actions are legal in the country you reside. All offers subject to terms and conditions. Please gamble responsibly - if you feel you may have a problem and need advice please visit Gamble Aware (UK) or Gamblers Anonymous.